Celestyal overhauls fare structure and drinks packages

Celestyal will replace its current fares and drinks packages next month before adding more premium cabins to Celestyal Discovery next year.

The new simplified package, Celestyal One, will replace Experience and Experience Plus packages from December 11.

It will include the cruise fare, complimentary essential Wi-Fi for all passengers, filter coffee, tea, water and juice between 6am and 10pm, unlimited free soft drinks in the main restaurants with meals, port fees and taxes and crew gratuities.

All current drinks packages will be replaced a prepaid food and beverage wallet called CelestyalPay, which can be used onboard for any non-complimentary food and drinks purchases.

Passengers can receive between a 15% and 25% bonus credit from Celestyal for pre-loading the wallet ahead of sailing, which can be paid when the cruise balance is due and is commissionable to agents.

CelestyalPay is per cabin rather than per passenger and can also be topped up during the voyage, and in future will be available on an app.

The line will also imminently launch an AI tool for agents to help them advise passengers how much credit is right for them to load on their cruise.

The changes will apply to all cruises departing from March 21, 2025.

Lee Haslett, Celestyal chief commercial officer, said the changes had been brought about by passenger and agent feedback about the “complexity” of its fares, and “confusing questions” around drinks package inclusions.

He said: “This was a general theme that we saw in the cruise industry as well, so in response to that, we challenged ourselves to go on a long project of looking at the industry and what we do to make choices clearer and more straightforward.”

Janet Parton, Celestyal vice-president for business development UK, emphasised these changes would not mean an increase in the base fare.

She said: “We believe that these changes are the right thing for our customers and our guests and having that extra value that’s included will be really enhancing the onboard proposition, but we’re not actually going to reflect that in an increase in the base fare.

“What we will be doing is looking at our inventory and we will have new cabins that will command a higher fare because they are more premium inventory.”

More premium cabins

Haslett added there would be further investments in its fleet with 47 new cabins to be added to Celestyal Discovery in its scheduled maintenance early next year.

This multi-million investment will up the ship’s capacity to 1,300 and include two Grand Horizon Suites which will be positioned above the bridge with wrap-around balconies, 30 Junior Dream Suites and 15 interior Cosmos Cabins.

Balcony and suite guests will have priority check-in, plus a “Sail Away” party, a pillow menu and daily hosted cocktail hours.

Grand Dream and Grand Horizon guests will get exclusive access to the private Ray’s Sundeck and Cabanas area.

Haslett said: “We have had such a successful first season on Discovery. I’m not exaggerating when I say that there are certain sailings that we could have sold twice over.

“We absolutely wanted to look at how we could optimise the vessel and potentially add more cabins and on Deck 11 there is a spa which we never put into service by nature of the three and four-night itineraries we operate.”

Challenge UK agents to triple-digit growth

Haslett said the line had hit “a significant milestone” in 2024 with its first itineraries in the Adriatic over the summer, and its first Arabian Gulf sailings coming up at the end of the month

He added: “We’re having a phenomenal year. We’re going to deliver record occupancy for us as a business with really strong growth and 2025 is shaping up well.”

Parton highlighted its new Arabian Gulf sailings had been “a real priority” for the UK with 40% of total inventory coming from that market.

“I wanted to thank our agent partners for really getting behind the Arabian Gulf product,” she said. “It’s a new destination for us, but they’re making it work with the launch of Celestyal Discovery also going into the Gulf for 2025”.

She said there were “real growth opportunities” for three and four-night itineraries from Abu Dhabi, with Celestyal Discovery homeporting from there in November 2025 while Celestyal Journey will return to homeport in Doha.

The introduction of its Heavenly Adriatic itineraries with stops in Croatia, Montenegro and Italy had also been “really key” for the UK.

She added: “We have seen great growth this year from our travel agent partners. From 2023 to 2024 travel agency business is significantly up. We’re going to be tasking the travel agent business with three-digit growth for 2025.”

Parton finally hinted at “a great travel agent incentive” which will launch with the line’s wave campaign on December 11.